Samsung GALAXY Note Preview

Introduction:

Well, it's finally here – the Samsung GALAXY Note – the largest “smartphone” ever created. If you wonder why we placed “smartphone” in inverted commas, that's because this thing is so big that it's blurring the lines between being a phone and a tablet. Really, when you look at it, the Galaxy Note can hardly be classified as a normal smartphone. On the other hand, it feels a bit too small to be considered a normal tablet. This device has found itself somewhere in between. And naturally, the first question that comes to our mind right now is: Is there a place for such a device on the market?

But we never jump to conclusions without first having to play with the actual handset. Now that the Samsung GALAXY Note is right here, in our hands, we do have a few things to say about it. Being pretty impressive in terms of specs, same as any other high-end Android smartphone, doesn't the Galaxy Note mark the spot where big becomes too big? Read on to find out!

Design:

So, um... what should we say? The Samsung GALAXY Note is one monster of a phone! It is gigantic, and it doesn't feel like anything you've used before. And if you're the type of person who'd say that the Galaxy S II is just too big, then wait until you see this guy. Don't think you'll be able to use it just like you use your typical smartphone – you can't fit the Galaxy Note comfortably in your pocket. Well, you can carry it in your pocket, but don't try to sit while it's in there. It's by no means heavy, but it is too cumbersome to handle normally. This “phone” is designed for the biggest of hands, but we don't believe that even such hands will find it okay.


The Samsung GALAXY Note is made of plastics, but it doesn't feel cheap at all. The device is solid, and even the capacitive stylus stays very firmly in its spot, and requires a bit of force to be removed. No wiggle whatsoever.

Now, let's turn our attention to the gargantuan 5.3” display of the Galaxy Note. It is, of course, of the capacitive type and utilizes the Super AMOLED technology, which translates into rich colors, deep contrast levels and wide viewing angles. Having so much real estate however, means that screen resolution should also be abundant, in order to keep a respectful pixel density. This is one are where the Galaxy Note performs admirably, having an 800x1280 pixel res, which translates into 285 ppi. We're happy to say that everything on the screen is very clear easily readable.



All the keys around the device are comfortable to press, while the special capacitive stylus is positioned at the bottom of the device. As we said, it requires a bit of force to have it removed, but that's fine, as it wouldn't have been better if it was wiggling. The stylus itself is long enough, and more importantly – isn't too thin, so overall we are happy with its design.